LOWELL — Brandon Walsh jogged into second base, fist in the air, waiting for his frenzied teammates to pile on him.
It was the second such mugging he has received in three days.
Monday, Walsh's walkoff homer ended Burlington's season. Yesterday, it was a double off the left-field wall that proved to be the final nail in Dracut's coffin, as North Andover clawed its way to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory in the Division 2 North semifinal.
"See the ball, hit the ball," said Walsh. "I was trying not to think while I was up there. Just find a pitch to hit and make sure you do what you can with it."
Complete Eagle-Tribune records go through the 1988 season, and in those 22 years the Knights only went as far as the North semis one other time (2000).
"I don't even know what to say," said North Andover head coach Todd Dulin, practically speechless as he watched his players celebrate. "Maybe it's a team of destiny, I don't know. There's just no quit in these guys, none at all."
Dracut led the ballgame from the second batter, when Casey Sweeney doubled in Aaron Barbosa, who led off the game with a single against Mike Weisman.
After Weisman allowed four of the first five batters to reach base (two of whom scored), he settled down in impressive fashion.
North Andover also was being stymied.
North Andover catcher Mike Levy tripled to right with one out in the second and scored on a Paul Pollano single. But Pollano was doubled-up at first when Brandon Walsh flied out to right.
Down 4-1 entering the sixth, Juan Areces led off with a single up the middle and Ryan Sifferlen and Connor Walsh walked to load the bases with one out. Dracut starter Kyle Adie balked in a run and Alec Jillson followed with a double to center that plated Sifferlen and Walsh.
Or so it seemed.
Before the next pitch, Adie appealed to third, claiming that Walsh had missed the bag on his way to the plate. But Adies throw sailed over the head of third baseman Jake Malandrino and Jillson advanced to third.
The Middies then appealed a second time, and the third base umpire called Walsh out, ruling he did in fact miss third base. However, with Jillson advancing, the game was delayed for 25 minutes while umpires and MIAA officials hashed out whether or Dracut was allowed to appeal a second time.
Walsh was ruled out.
Aaron Brunette then flied out to end the inning with North Andover trailing, 4-3.
"It's a downer," Knights coach Dulin said. "No one really knew the ruling. We originally thought that the appeal was dead when our runner advanced, but that's not the rule. They got the play right, and they took the time to make sure."
Dracut was threatening in the seventh, but Brandon Walsh came on in relief and struck out Malandrino looking and got Corey Welch to ground out.
Levy led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. Pollano then belted a shot to straight-away center that went off the extended part of the wall, scoring David Foote, who was running for Levy.
"I was sitting on a fastball and ended up with a curve that just hung out over the plate," Pollano said. "I went up there and just told myself that once I saw my pitch, I was going to take advantage of it."
Then it was time for Walsh's heroics.
The freshman hammered a 2-2 pitch off the wall in left, scoring Matt Hogan who was running for Pollano.
"Walshie, come on, what else can you say?" said Pollano. "The kid just comes up big every time that we need him. He's unbelievable. And a freshman, he's so calm, so cool up there. He just gets it done."
North Andover 5, Dracut 4
Division 2 North semifinals
at Alumni Field, Lowell
Dracut (4): Aaron Barbosa ss 3-2-1, Casey Sweeney 1b 4-2-3, Kyle Adie p 4-0-2, Jake Malandrino 3b 2-0-0, Corey Welch c 3-0-2, Matt Silva cf/p 2-0-0, Dave Parent lf 2-0-0, Phil Georgoulis rf 2-0-0, Eric Ledbetter dh 3-0-0. Totals 29-4-8
North Andover (5): Ryan Sifferlen cf 2-1-1, Brad Patnaude ss 2-0-0, Connor Walsh 3b 3-1-1, Alec Jillson dh 3-0-1, Aaron Brunette rf 3-0-0, Mike Levy c 3-2-2, Paul Pollano 1b 3-1-2, Brandon Walsh 2b/p 3-0-1, Juan Areces lf 2-1-1, Mike Weisman p 0-0-0, David Foote pr 0-1-0, Matt Hogan pr 0-1-0. Totals 24-5-8
RBI: NA — Jillson 2, Pollano 2, Walsh
WP: Brandon Walsh; LP: Matt Silva
North Andover (19-4):0âÇ1âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ2âÇ2 — 5
Dracut (16-7):2âÇ0âÇ0âÇ0âÇ2âÇ0âÇ0 — 4
Next game: vs. Reading Saturday at noon at LeLacheur Park, Division 2 North final
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